The Prince Analysis

Chapter. 10

1. An example where a leader’s motives were personal, but publicized beneficial to the masses in recent history was with the dictator, Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe. Farming had collapsed in 2000, when Mugabe began seizing white-owned farms, giving most of them to political allies with no background in agriculture. “In 2005, Mugabe launched Operation Murambatsvina (Clean the Filth), the forcible eviction of some 700,000 people from their homes or businesses—“to restore order and sanity,” says the government. But locals say the reason was to forestall demonstrations as the economy deteriorates.” Like the Prince, Mugabe, sole purposes were to evict people of the land, but did not want to intentionally strain the citizens and Mugabe’s relationship.


In today's society, the media is often told one sided. Information on subjects like war is usually broadcasted biased to support the cause. Withholding information is not keeping the society happier, but ignorant.


Chapter. 11

2. The Crusades were a series of military conflicts of a religious character waged by much of Christian Europe during 1095–1291, most of which were sanctioned by the Pope of the Roman Catholic Church in the name of the medieval polity of "Christendom.” The purposes of these crusades were to overtake and gain control of the Holy Land from the Muslims. The Holy Land was Jerusalem and the Christians believed that gaining control was their destiny. The first crusade was essentially started by Pope Urban II. This would lead to the attack of Turkish forces in Constantinople.

The Mexican American War was to gain California, New Mexico, Colorado, Wyoming, Arizona, Nevada and the Rio Grande Border, and was justified as " Manifest Destiny." Polk played on the people's beliefs and bullied a smaller and weaker nation into war to gain land, and used God as their justification.

The incident of Mitt Romney and his publicized criticism on his religion touches on the topic of church trying to gain power and control. Even though it's not an obvious attack for control, but in a sense is. With Romney's belief, his everyday lifestyles, morals, decisions and way of life is based on his religion. To a certain extend does that have to factor in his way as a Presidential candidate, whether good or bad.






Chapter. 12

3. Machiavelli viewed war as a necessity. He did not think of it as something that can never disappear completely, nor did he even conceive of the absence of war as a goal. Even in peaceful times, tensions aroused.Lyndon B. Johnson viewed war as a necessity to stop communism. The draft to Vietnam was to stop the rise of communism in Vietnam. The theory of the “domino effect” scared the administration. They believed stopping the war would end communism. But it is in fact, almost impossible to stop all oppressors in the world. Even though it was a notable cause in the end, the whole country became communist in the end. And in the end of the war, there was tension of radicals asking, “Why did we go to war.” This led to civil wars between the Nixon administration and radicals around the world. “All we are saying is, is give peace a chance.”


Bush viewed war evident to stop the " war on terrorism". Roughly five years later, we're still at war. It is widely opposed on, yet there isn't a simple solution of packing up and leaving a torn country with no democracy that we singly handedly help take down. With the start of the war, we just made our self more susceptible with other attacks from the mass hatred for starting the war. Like Machiavelli, Bush viewed war as a necessity, which to an extent I can agree to. War is necessary to stop an aggressor who attacked our country and without war, how can we gain peace. Like in Cicero Duties, he believes that we should only wage war in order to gain peace (as contradictory as that sounds...) Yet there lies another problem. Saddam Hussein
didn'tattack us, Osama Bin Laden claimed to. But this can lead up to a conversation that'll never end.....


Chapter. 13

4. In Chapter 13 the prince uses auxiliary troops to hope regain power back to the prince. Auxiliary troops are often skilled and organized, but their loyalty and honor lies within another. Machiavelli says, “Depending on outside armies is essentially the same as depending on good fortune.” During the American Revolution when the French troops were brought over to help fight the American cause they were very weary and hesitant at first. After the Battle of Saratoga the Americans got the full support of the French. After the war though, the American’s had a huge debt to pay for their help. Years later, during the French Revolution the American’s were unsure about repaying the French with help of armed forces. Allies supporting you can be beneficial at first, but in the long run can turn to be burdensome with favors and support.

This example shows up in modern society in bands. For example when Zach de la Rocha quit Rage Against the Machine due to internal strife that occurred ever since the formation of the band in 1991. With de la Rocha gone, Rage was left without a singer. Coincidentally, singer Chris Cornell left his band, Soundgarden. Now, a band without a singer, and a singer without a band lead to the formation of Audioslave in 2000, yet Cornell, ultimatly ended up leaving "due to irresolvable personality conflicts as well as musical differences", just in time for the announcement of the reunion of Rage Against the Machine for 2007 Coachella. In the end Tom Morello, the lead guitarist, Tim Commerford, bass and back up vocals and Brad Wilk, drums, loyalty lied with de la Rocha.

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Resources:

"Crusades." Crusades. 08 December 2007. Wikipedia online. 9 Dec 2007 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crusades>.

"PARADE’s Annual List Of...The World’s 10 Worst Dictators." The World's 10 Worst Dicatators. 17 November 2006. ParadeNet Inc. 09 12 2007 <http://www.parade.com/articles/editions/2006/edition_01-22-2006/Dictators>.

"Chris Cornell Talks Audioslave Split, Nixes Soundgarden Reunion." Audioslave Splits. 2007. MTV Networks. 13 Dec 2007 <http://www.vh1.com/news/articles/1552582/20070215/audioslave.jhtml>.






Mdang
Period 3